Conversations | For the Love of Collectibles: Why Collect Design Now

Why It Matters

Collectible design is emerging as a distinct, high‑value asset class, prompting firms to educate buyers and creating new investment opportunities within the luxury and interior‑architecture markets.

Key Takeaways

• Salone del Mobile launches “Salone Rarities” highlighting collectible design.
• Collectible design blends functional art, limited editions, and craftsmanship.
• Designers balance market-driven rarity with intrinsic artistic intent.
• Artling’s B2B model educates clients on design’s investment value.
• Asian markets still equate design pieces with furniture, needing context.

Summary

The Conversations 2026 panel, co‑hosted by Art Basel and Salone del Mobile, explored the emerging niche of collectible design. Moderated by Wallpaper’s Yoko Choi, the discussion featured designer‑artist Do We Han and Artling founder Talinia Foa Garrido, who examined how the new Salone Rarities section spotlights limited‑edition objects that blur the line between art and functional furniture.

Speakers defined collectible design as functional art that carries cultural, emotional, and historical weight, often produced in limited runs or as one‑offs. They highlighted the tension between market‑driven rarity—edition size, material exclusivity—and an artist’s intrinsic drive to create meaningful objects. Artling’s evolution from a B2C online gallery to a B2B advisory with roughly $2 billion of inventory illustrates the growing demand for curated design pieces in corporate, hospitality, and private collections.

Do We Han cited his participation in Apple’s Designer of Tomorrow program and the Shakti Design Residency as proof that high‑profile collaborations can elevate design to collectible status. Talinia noted that while the global art market sits at $60 billion, collectible design accounts for about $8 billion, underscoring its smaller but rapidly expanding footprint. Both emphasized the need to educate buyers—especially in Asia—about the craftsmanship and conceptual value behind pieces that might otherwise be dismissed as mere furniture.

The conversation signals a shift: designers, galleries, and platforms must articulate the investment narrative of collectible design, while collectors increasingly view these objects as both aesthetic statements and financial assets. This evolving perception could reshape procurement strategies across luxury retail, interior architecture, and corporate placemaking.

Original Description

Presented in partnership with Salone del Mobile.Milano

Duyi Han, Designer and artist, Shanghai

Talenia Phua Gajardo, CEO and Founder, The Artling, Singapore

Moderator: Yoko Choy, China Editor, Wallpaper* Global Edition; Founder, Cultural Associate, Hong Kong

This panel explored the essence of design collectibles. Distinct from fine art, design works blend limited-edition craftsmanship with functional beauty, deriving value from rarity, innovation, and cultural narrative. Panelists Duyi Han and Talenia Phua Gajardo unpacked their appeal and versatility – from private sanctuaries to public showcases. Examining Asia's nascent collectible design scene and market, they assessed their significant potential amid rising collector interest, while tackling key growth challenges: limited awareness, supply chain constraints, and shifting market preferences. This panel offered essential insights for creators, collectors, curators, and investors navigating this dynamic sector. 

Duyi Han creates objects and environments as ‘neuroaesthetic prescriptions.’ He draws visual references from diverse cultural and temporal contexts, remixes them in unusual ways, in order to evoke emotions and investigate the evolving structures of visual culture. Duyi Han holds a B. Arch from Cornell University. His work is in collections including San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and White Rabbit Collection, Sydney.

Talenia Phua Gajardo is CEO of The Artling. She is a Loke Cheng-Kim Foundation scholar and received her BA (Hons) Architecture from Central Saint Martin’s in London. In 2013, she founded The Artling, an international art and design consultancy and online gallery. Her passions are intertwined with the world of contemporary art, architecture, and design. She has served as design judge for the Dezeen Awards, was on Hong Kong’s Design Trust benefit committee, and was a Milken Institute Young Leader Circle member.  

Yoko Choy is a design journalist and creative consultant whose work champions cross-cultural exchange. As China Editor of Wallpaper’s global edition, she bridges Eastern and Western perspectives from Hong Kong and Amsterdam, cultivating a shared creative language through design and art. Her consultancy practice fosters cultural dialogue and collaboration with global brands and institutions, including Assouline, Art Basel, Hermès, and Louis Vuitton.  

Stage furniture by Porro and B&B Italia, courtesy of Salone del Mobile.Milano